Holyoke event about soil to bring big names during peak expo season

For crop producers and property owner interested in the no-till landscaping, there will be an event for people to learn more about it. Farming Evolution will be Feb. 15-16 for the Farming Evolution at the Phillips County Fair Grounds Event Center in Holyoke, Colo., during one of the busiest times of year for farm expos.

All of the presenters will speak to those considering or new to no-till as well as the long-term No-Tiller.

No-Till is not just the lack of tillage. To reap the benefits of no-till, one must see it as system. Cropping rotations and, in most cases, bringing livestock back to the farm are key to no-till success.

There will be a variety of presenters at the event. Odette Menard is a world recognized expert advisor in soil and water conservation for the Ministry of Agriculture in Quebec, Canada. Menard will explore the complex soil life and why no-till brings out the best in the soil, regardless of moisture. Then she will explain the soil food chain and earthworms. Lastly, she will discuss the challenges of managing the soil system.

“No-Till is not just the lack of tillage. To reap the benefits of no-till, one must see it as system.”

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Rudy Garcia and Clark Harshbarger work for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Harshbarger will give a visual demonstration of how tillage affects soil properties. Garcia will explain how to use the various soil health tests.

Culbertson, Neb., producer Jacob Miller will share how his dryland and irrigated no-till systems have evolved over the years. He is 100 percent no-till and recently became chemical and fertilizer free. He uses livestock to graze all of his cropland acres. He will share economics and other details of the cover crop and cash crop rotation on his farm.

Menoken Farms of Burleigh County, N.D., is well known in no-till circles. They are on the leading edge of innovators when it comes to cover crops, cropland grazing and soil health. Darrell Oswald and Ken Miller will share their insights and experiences integrating livestock into the cropping system.

Don Day is a familiar voice on the radio. He's a well-known meteorologist from Cheyenne, Wyo., and will talk about weather on the plains. Day will also discuss the myths and facts about influences on the weather east of the Rocky Mountains.

Kyle Kautz just started integrating cover crops on his Merino, Colo., farm. He will share what sparked his interest in changing his operation and his experiences thus far.

There will be a live microscopic view of soil life projected on the screens. Tim Becker, Holyoke producer and Natural Resources Conservation Service.employee, and Steve Tucker, crop producer near Venango, Neb., will show how the soil looks under the microscope.

Todd Gaines will wrap up the program by talking about chemical weed resistance. Gaines is a world-renowned specialist in herbicide resistance and a Flagler, Colo., wheat farm-kid.

Immediately following the Farming Evolution, there will be a Herbicide Resistance Workshop Feb. 16. There will also be a Great Plains herbicide resistance listening session Feb. 17. More information will be posted as it becomes available. ❖